The second must see in Barcelona is also a Gaudi work: Park Guell. This is an amazing Wonka-esque wonderland where you can over look the city and see all the way to the Mediterranean. In trying to explain this park I can’t come up with words that would adequately describe its beauty. The sun dances on the landscape and warmly plays on the stone and mosaics. Allot yourself a good amount of time to explore every inch of the park!
Another must see is the Mediterranean itself! We only got to spend a day at the beach on New Year’s Eve… and it was cold in December… but it is beautiful. We had an amazing 7 course meal at Opium Mar a restaurant/club located on the Med. The food was great and the atmosphere was a great mix of the hot and happening who’s who of Barcelona… we definitely were not in a tourist place!
A really cool way to see the city is on a walking tour… we chose the Gothic Architecture tour. We had a small group of about 12-15 and got to see a lot of great buildings and hear the history behind them. Our tour guide gave us a ton of great advice… the best piece being to check out the Santa-Caterina Market. There we found the Cuines Santa-Catarina restaurant… a beautifully Scandinavian inspired mixture of wood and foliage. We got there a little before 1 (when they open) and there was already a line… which multiplied quickly! Our lunch was delicious and was a favorite of the trip!
Like in Rome we really didn’t have any language problems. The majority of people spoke basic English and we knew enough Spanish to get by… We ate several times near the Sagrada Familia and everything we had was excellent! If a restaurant you go to has a tapas sampler you get to try a lot of things… but the Paella is a MUST! It was probably the best thing that I ate our entire trip… well, that and Sangria! For transportation we walked a ton and took taxi’s when necessary.